Archangel A.D. hail from Edinburg (sic), Texas and they channel classic thrash acts. Their 6-track album, Warband, has been out for a while but we only recently heard tell of it. And so here we are…
Wading through the songs on here, you can hear little ing references to many well-known names of the thrash field. Classic (i.e. first three albums) Metallica and Megadeth are prevalent throughout, the bass licks in “Blightning” bring forth images of Nuclear Assault while Testament, Candlemass and others float into mind as the other tracks batter at your eardrums.
This is proper old-school stuff done by a young, modern band. Production is good and the songs formulaic, but in a good way. They’re quick and easy to get into because you already have an idea of what’s coming next. That’s not to say that they’re at all “samey”. Far from it.
The title track is much slower and heavier than most of the others, at least in of drum beats. The shredded solo definitely doesn’t hold back! “Evil Dreams” tops it by chucking in a few segments that could be influenced more by a doom metal act, but it’s the blistering pace of bookends “Unto the Evil” and “Metal Horde” that really sell this as a collection of proper thrash.
At only a few pounds / dollars, it’s well worth considering putting your hand in your pocket to a grassroots act of this quality.
Warband is already out to stream, but Archangel A.D. are releasing it on CD in January, so if you want a physical copy you should get your orders in.
